Gone and Done
by Chiharu-Chan
Summary: Fiftyfive drabbles on Nichrome. Spoilers for anime and manga ending. He didn't want to grow up, and wasn't just because of his fear of reality.
1. Chapter 1

**Gone and Done**

By: Chiharu-chan

Themes from 55themes on livejournal.

Fifty-five drabbles on Nichrome and Hao's gang.

Shaman King is copyrighted to Hiroyuki Takei, TV Tokyo, Shonen Jump, Fox Box, 4KIDS , et.

**Theme One: Sports**

"Macchi-chan, the ball."

Confused glances from the redhead, dull expressions from the blonde and sympatric looks from the blue-hair girl were received.

Nichrome paused as the ball rolled to his feet. He frowned, biting his lip and forbidding himself from letting his intentions go. "This is a camping site, not a playground."

"_Someone_ has a stick up their ass." The redhead whistled casually.

The boy frowned harder.

"When a ball rolls towards you, the logical thing to do is to pick it up and return it." The tallest girl spoke up flatly, lighting another cigarette pointlessly.

Nichrome threw the ball back. It was caught by the blonde in one hand while the other held her doll.

"That was a waste of time." The redhead declared, turning around as her friends followed.

He watched as the girls head back to the other side of the camping ground before cautiously opening his mouth. "Hey. Can I play?"

They turned around.

"I mean. . ."

"Well? Hurry up."

**Theme Two: School**

Nichrome honored intelligence as something granted rather than gifted. He often tries to express a certain level of maturity, but that little peace of mind is often suppressed by his sense of pride. He doesn't like learning; being viewed as another uneducated child without the brain capacity of gathering and concluding the slightest information was a hit to his ego.

Nichrome never had much of schooling as a child. Education was well respected, but skills in combat were the essential to life.

The council of patch emphasized the importance of intellectual learning.

Asakura Hao didn't.

That's where it began.

**Theme Three: House**

Nichrome's father died young. His earliest memories were of coming home to an empty house. His mother worked at a low-paying, high-labored job while his brother did all he could to help their mother in supporting the family.

Their house was one of the less flattering ones in the small tribual town. There was no front yard and the ivies had claimed all there was to the remaining land they considered as the backyard. The fence was rusted and the porch was never clean.

He remembered that there was an everlasting smell of bleach in the air.

While those were the memories he wished to forget, Nichrome had learned at a young age that irony mocked him the most. Being one of the youngest and less useful members of the group, he had been the one ordered to laundry duty every week.

The feeling of water rushing through his hand, unable to be grasped. The sense of nauseating feeling of bitter, un-cleanness. The permanent smell of bleach.

He hated it. He hated to be reminded of it.

"Nichrome, take a break."

_He turned around to face Chrome, standing behind him with a slight smile._

"_I'll do the laundry for you."_

He laughed. It was too somber.

Asakura Hao offered him the rare look of concern before repeating himself. "Nichrome, take a break. I'll send someone to the laundries instead."

**Theme Four: Church**

When asked, Nichrome would simply answer in six words.

"_I do not believe in Christ."_

He didn't want to be reminded of that little church on the hill, the lifelessly dull people, the old cabin, or the cheerful smile of the priest.

"_The just shall be ruled by faith."_

"Faith is useless. The words of foolish men are blaspheme." If he remembered correctly, it was his not-so-carefully chosen answer. It flew out of his mouth without hesitation.

Asakura Hao raised an eyebrow in amusement. "That's a nice analogy."

"It's not an analogy at all."

**Theme Five: Store**

"Pick up some pins for me." That was simply what Asakura had demanded. A simple request, yet disturbingly unreasonable.

"There's no convenient store for miles. We're in the middle of nowhere." Nichrome replied dully.

"I suppose it's not convenient, then."

"Fine, I'll go." Nichrome walked out of the tent and headed out the camping grounds aimlessly.

"Oi. I'll go with you."

He turned around.

Macchi grinned. "What? I need things too. _Oh_, don't be so surprised to see me doing manual labor."

Nichrome shook his head, chuckling inwardly as he muttered something under his breath.

"Mmm." Macchi tilted her head, blinking. "What's that?"

"Nothing. Let's go to the… Convenient store."

**Theme Six: Restaurant**

"Mari, pass the bread."

The blonde reached for the platter before handing it to the right of her.

"The soup is too bitter." Macchi.

"To drinks are too sour." Kanna.

"The fries are too oily." Mari.

"You can't cook." The hanagumi deducted.

Nichrome hated kitten duty.

**Theme Seven: Dance Club**

The first time he stumbled onto the lair of Satan was when he got lost on a mission. With him were Zen and Ryo. They wanted to go in, Nichrome didn't.

It took much preservation and dragging before the boy agreed to go in. To ask for directions, he reminded himself.

It ended in Ryo and Zen dragged Nichrome back to the camping site.

"Oh, you got him drunk." Hao frowned slightly.

"I didn't know that he'd get drunk so easily." The guitar twins replied.

"He's eight. How high do you _think_ his alcohol content is?"

"You've mistaken, Hao-sama. They don't think."

"He's gonna have a hell of a hangover from this." Mari whistled.

"Pity."

"Who's gonna look after him?"

A look.

"I wonder why you always make _us_ look after the kid." Kanna groaned.

**Theme Eight: Dreams**

"Mari had a dream about Chuck and dresses last night." Mari mumbled under her breath, pulling her leg closer as the warmth of the fire grew.

"I had a dream about how I could fly on my broom!" Macchi hummed happily, laying her head on her knee.

"I dreamt that you two were quite for once." Kanna spoke, pulling on the blanket in her lap.

"What is this, story time?" Zen snapped, but wavered as glares were sent his way.

"Those willing are allowed to dream." Luchist spoke up.

"Eh…"

"What about you, Nic?"

Nichrome looked up, through the fire as the girls waited expectedly. "I don't dream."

"Oh?"

He could never accomplish anything through a dream because, after all, dreams are to be left unachieved.**  
**

**Theme Nine: Siblings**

Nichrome's only brother died when he was eight. It was a cruel and unfair event that the rest of the council judges refused to describe in detail.

Yet, in his heart, Nichrome knew it couldn't possible be Chrome's fault.

Unlike his little brother, Chrome was patient, kind and understanding. He was everything Nichrome hated. He didn't realize, until Chrome's death, that the man was everything he wanted to be.

He didn't realize he already had so much hate built inside of him. It had already been there, gathering up over time and waiting to be discovered.

That day, he mastered oversoul.

**Theme Ten: Loyalty**

"Let it go."

Nichrome frowned, turning around to face Hao.

"You knew that you'd leave her someday."

The younger boy paused, pressing his lip inwardly. "I didn't want to."

"You only masked the truth from yourself."

"I didn't, I still don't want to leave her."

"You can give up on relying on Nyorai, or you can start depending on yourself."

It was the only choice.

* * *

Not exactly the feel-good fic of the year, but please read and review. X3 


	2. Chapter 2

**Gone and Done**

By: Chiharu-chan

Themes from 55themes on livejournal.

Fifty-five drabbles on Nichrome and Hao's gang.

Shaman King is copyrighted to Hiroyuki Takei, TV Tokyo, Shonen Jump, Fox Box, 4KIDS , et.

**Theme Eleven: Infatuation**

Nichrome was eight when he was first introduced to the Hanagumi. All three of the girls were older than him; he didn't consider them as anything else besides nasty, annoying girls.

Nichrome was ten when they died. All three of them, crushed to death in an instant by Peyote. He wasn't the judge for that particular match, yet he felt responsible for their death.

Nichrome was eleven when they were revived by Kyouyama Anna, the Itako. She wanted them to work for her Onsen. The rush of relieve never caught up to him, and he found himself in a dream as all three of them stood in front of his eye.

"Oi, you got tall." Macchi grinned, patting him slightly on the back.

"You got skinny." Mari decided. "Being boney is not attractive."

"You got quite." Kanna remarked, smirking slightly.

They were borderline insults masked as compliments. Yet, there was that sense of elegant air to all three of them.

They instantly became ladies in his eye.

**Theme Twelve: One night stand**

It was five years later than he found her on his doorsteps. Her cloths were drenched with the rain, her face lost its exciting glow and her purple lilac eyes were no longer bright.

"Can I come in?"

He let her in, let her take a shower, and made hot cocoa for her.

She took the shower, but rejected the cocoa. "I should be going."

"Did you have something to say?" He raised an eyebrow.

"No.. I just, I don't know what I was thinking." She replied, running a hand through her hair. "I've sunk to a new low, haven't I?"

"You're older than me. I shouldn't be the judge of that."

"I'm so stupid, Nic-chan." She laughed. "I'm so stupid, Nichrome."

She began seeing him as more than a little boy after she lost herself.

"Can I stay with you tonight?"

"You're stupid, Matilda."

**Theme Thirteen: True love**

"What brings you to my door?" He asks dully.

"Please." She replies in equal fashion. "Your overwhelming enusthiasm is just too much."

Nichrome smirked. "I'd invite you to come in, but it's a bit unsanitary in there."

"Please, I'm not stupid." Kanna took out another pack of cigarette from her bag.

"Those aren't good for you."

"Maybe." She shrugged, lightening another stick.

"So?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I'm getting married."

"To whom?"

"Met him at work. I asked him out. Been dating. He asked me to marry him." She summarized, checking her watch.

"Is he a Shaman?"

"No."

"Do you love him?"

She shrugged.

"Okay. What else?"

"I want you to be the Best Man." She replied, flipping her cell phone open causally.

Nichrome stared at her. "The groom gets to pick that."

"His sister is the Brides Maid." Kanna replied alarmingly sharp. "I'm picking the Best Man. I want you."

"Ah. Thank you." He smiled. Another one of his girls was leaving him.

**Theme Fourteen: Food**

The food at the reception was surprisingly good. Nichrome, however, barely got to taste the cake as he was greeted by countless old faces.

"Can you believe it?" Zen hummed against the table, whine bottle in hand. His suit was cheap and understated. "Our Iron Girl is getting married off. Even our little boy has a lovely escort."

"Are you stupid? Can't you recognize me?" Macchi snapped at him. She had had one-too-many bottles of whine as well.

"Mmm. Can it be!" Ryo slurped drunkenly. "Our little Macchiii is so gorgeous now! Let's celebrate."

The Guitar Twins clashed their whine glass together.

"Yeah!" Macchi joined in, spilling whine on her dress.

Nichrome slapped his forehead. She was going have a fit when she sobers up. That dress had cost five months of her pay. He gently grabbed her arm, helping her away from the buffet table. She laid her head on the crook of his neck, giggling madly.

"Lovely reception, isn't it?"

He turned around, still securing Macchi by grasping around her waste, to see the girl's blonde counterpart. Macchi hiccupped. "Mari!"

"You're such a bad boyfriend, Nichrome-kun." Mari smirked knowingly. "You let her get drunk." Of the three girls, Mari grew the most. Her blonde hair framed her beautifully elegant face, and her crystal green eyes radiant seduction.

"I probably am." Nichrome sighed, pulling Macchi up as she slid downwards.

"Don't blame yourself too much." Mari winked, walking past him. "It's because Mari and Nichrome are the only two people who hasn't tasted the food."

**Theme fifteen: Depression**

She found him near the river banks, lying on the grassy marshes. She dared not to disturb his peace; yet, she knew that he had noticed her aside from his cloud-watching.

She gulped. This reminded her too much of _him_.

He finally sat up. Without turning around, he patted the spot on the grass next to him. She slid down the hill slowly, taking a seat silently.

"I don't get it." She spoke up. "I still don't get it."

"I don't understand how he could've found a peace of mind with this." He replied with the same monotonous voice. "It's so juvenile."

Over the years, cloud-watching became the only thing that could relate them back to _him_. That unforgettable yet shattered piece of their memory. It was the only way to connect back to Hao-sama.

"Oh. You're here already."

Macchi and Nichrome looked up to the top of the side-walk along the rive bank.

Mari and Kanna stood there, smiling back at them.

**Theme sixteen: Heart break**

"Sometimes… Mari wonders why these things happen to her." She hummed as she laid on her elbow, swishing her can of beer. Her beautiful blonde hair was tied in a messy ponytail; her gorgeous face was now ruined with running mascara and dirty eyeliner.

"I'm sorry." Nichrome took her beer away. "I don't know what else to say."

"So is Mari." She laughed slightly, sloping down onto his carpet. "Whenever someone leaves Mari's life, she can never forget it. She remembers everything about him."

Both of them were smart enough to know who she was talking about.

"Kousuke-kun left too. But when Mari tries to imagine his bright red hair, all she can see is his soft brown hair." She smiled bitterly. "Mari sees him in her dreams, and she can't forget him."

Nichrome frowned, pulling the blonde girl into a hug. She buried her head into his shoulders, sobbing quietly. He frowned, quietly whispering into her ear. "I see him too, Mari. I remember him. I love him, yet hate him at the same time. Don't let them –him- break your heart anymore."

Asakura Hao left all of them in a broken-state of mind.

**  
Theme Seventeen: First encounters**

He met Nyorai again on a subway on his way home from school. He had been seated, flipping through the pages of a book quietly as the subway eventually came to a stop at stations.

It was on the stop between Shinbuya that she walked past him.

He looked up. He had his reading classes on; its thick black borders sloping lazily against the bridge of his nose. His bangs fell halfway across his face.

She turned around. She held a beach bag across one arm as the edge of books stuck out. She took off her sunglasses, readjusting it on the top of her head.

The subway began to move again.

"Nichrome-kun." She remained standing in the aisle of the nearly empty halls, smiling brilliantly as she radiated that sense of calmness he once remembered.

"Nyorai-sama."

It was just like their first encounter. Subtle. Vague. Unpredicted.

It happened too quick.

_Approaching Kantou Station_

"Well, goodbye, Nichrome-kun." She leaned down to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. The last thing he remembered was seeing the fabric of her dress as the subway zoomed out of the station.

He touched his cheek; mildly wondering if that had been a dream.

**  
Theme Eighteen: My thoughts alone  
**In the beginning, he thought life would eventually get better. His brother died. His mother died. He was wrong.

He thought that his position in the Patch Tribe would provide a stable assurance that Asakura Hao would become the Shaman King. He had been wrong.

He thought that life was happening too fast for him. He didn't think he would ever mature; yet, he grew little by little out of that lifeless shell. He had been wrong.

He thought that he would always be alone. He thought he didn't need protection or love from any bystanders. He thought that he could conquer life on his own. He thought that nothing else could possible shake his world further.

In return, irony got the best of him again.

They came into his life. One-by-one. They quietly made a firm impression of themselves in his world of unrealistic shelters. Nyorai, in all perfection, provided him with the love of a friend, gently guiding him towards a new light. Kanna, unknowingly, gave him the love of a sister. Mari, mature in her own way, smiled and allowed him to face harsh surrealism. Macchi let him fall in love with her.

He, grudgingly, had been wrong again.

**Theme Nineteen: Torture**

He thought torture was repetitive. Torture was those memories that never seem to go away. It wakes him up at night, scare and alone. It played over-and-over again like a piece of broken film. It was the scratching on a record that refused to stop.

Over and over.

_It's over, he was on the job.. He's dead._

_Sorry, the procedure failed. She's dead._

He woke up, panting. Running a hand through his damp hair, he frowned at the girl next to him on the bed. Macchi slept soundlessly, hugging her pillow as she hummed softly in her sleep.

He smiled slightly, running the back of his hand against her cheek. This, perhaps, was the worst torture of all.

**  
Theme Twenty: Music**

He nearly choked on his coffee. Quickly wiping his face with a napkin, Nichrome looked up at his girlfriend. "What?"

"I want to become a singer." Macchi replied, looking out the window- seat of the small café. "I don't want to stay like this, you know. I don't want to stay in this city; it's a living reminder of everything. I don't want to waste the rest of my life as a waitress."

"But, a singer?" He stared quizzically at her.

"I have too much stuff bottled up here." She grinned, pointing at her heart.

He knew. He knew of her beautiful voice. He knew of her desperate need to sing and voice out the fragments of her memory. It was the only way she could express it.

His eyes went back to his coffee. "What are you planning?"

"I want to go to Tokyo." She replied with the same light-hearted tone. "I need a manger, and I need a contract. I can't find that here, so I need to leave." He paused. "You understand, right?"

"Right." Fuck, he did understand. It only hurt more, him understanding. "Right. You want to break up, right?"

Macchi smiled. She didn't kiss him nor declare her undying love to him. "Thank you."

"Right." Her muttered again, failing to meet her eye. He grabbed his bag, ready to leave. "What now?"

"Good bye." She only smiled wistfully.

He wondered about music and its importance in her nonexistent relationship.

**Afterthoughts**

Mmm. This set of drabbles came out better than I expected. It did eventually frame into a story, see? But I felt the need to refrain from something too cheerful. My Nichrome-muse is one of the few things in my fandom, including Shaman King, that refuses to die down. X3 I think of him as a puzzle waiting to be solved by different people with different points of view.

Anyways, this is drabble 10 to 20. There are 25 left. Let's see if I can finish, and make up, this story by then.


	3. Chapter 3

**Gone and Done**

By: Chiharu-chan

Themes from 55themes on livejournal.

Fifty-five drabbles on Nichrome and Hao's gang.

Shaman King is copyrighted to Hiroyuki Takei, TV Tokyo, Shonen Jump, Fox Box, 4KIDS , et.

**Theme Twenty-One: Midnight**

It was midnight when he arrived at Funbari Onsen.

It had been one or two years since he first enrolled in a Japanese University near Izumo, and Silva had advised him to move to the city for convenience. He had spent a good month in the onsens before moving out into his own apartment.

Nowadays, he found himself frequently returning to that small onsen.

"Ah, Nichrome." A soft voice spoke up, and the boy turned to see Asakura Yoh standing in the doorway; clad in his normal t-shirt and jeans in all of his Shaman King glory. "Come over here."

He obeyed, following the Shaman King into the dinning room as they sat in one of the serving tables. The boy scanned his surroundings; a few other onsen customers were still awake, sitting at a nearby table as they enjoyed their mid-night snack.

"Mari." Yoh waved for the girl behind the door.

The blonde frowned slightly. "Nichrome-kun, what can Mari get you?"

The boy shrugged. "Water."

"Water's not healthy." Yoh grinned. "Mari-chan, get him some orange juice and some cookies."

"I'm not hungry." Nichrome blinked.

"No, the cookies are for me."

The blonde nodded, hurrying away.

"I don't understand." Yoh smiled, running a hand through his hair. "Mari-chan is so stiff around me. She's fine with all the other staff here."

Nichrome paused. "You probably remind her to much of him."

"I suppose you're right." The older boy sighed. "Things like this should be worked out between the two of them."

"They can't."

"Why not?" Yoh raised an eyebrow.

Nichrome bit his lip. "How can she work out her nonexistent love story when she doesn't even know where he is?"

Yoh paused. "He's back in town."

The younger boy shook his head, adverting his attention to the window. "I shouldn't be the one for you to be telling this to." It didn't really matter to him anymore; yet he could still clearly decipher the location Asakura Yoh mentioned to him that midnight.

**Theme Twenty-Two: Library**

"Hey, I know you!"

Nichrome turned around from pulling a rather thick book off the self. He blinked slightly, staring at the blue-hair girl in front of him. There was some recognition, but nothing too strong.

"I'm Usui Pilica!" She grinned, pushing a thread of hair on her shoulders. "Horohoro's little sister!"

"Oh." Nichrome replied dully.

"I'm going to school here." If she had heard the lack of interest in his voice, she didn't bother to show it. "Yoh said that we're going to the same school."

"University of Izumo?"

"Yep." She grinned. "Although, I just transferred here because Oni-chan got a new job. I'll be your sempai."

"I see."

"Have you heard from Macchi-chan?"

Nichrome blinked, finally paying attention. "What?"

"You don't know?" Pilica raised an eyebrow. "She's trying to get a record contract in Tokyo. Anna-sama said that if she can't get her big break here, she'll probably go back to England."

Nichrome frowned, nodding slightly. He was at a loss of what to say.

He didn't know she was leaving Japan. She never told him.

**Theme Twenty-Three: Pets**

Her body completely toned and tanned, the newly-wed young woman poked idly at the cash register.

"I expect you won't be working here anymore."

Kanna turned around, eyeing Anna flatly. "No. I'm moving in with him in Kyoto. I'm just here to pick up my old stuff." She paused. "Is Mari and Nic here?"

"Inside." Anna pointed to the dinning hall of the Onsen with her thumb. "He's here to get some spare money since we're in need of new employees. Business hasn't exactly been a carnival since both you and Macchi left."

"Then hire someone new." Kanna shrugged. "Where's he?"

Speaking of the devil, Nichrome came into the checking counter, pulling the bandana off of his hair as he walked. "Hey. You're back."

"Yeah, I got you something." Kanna snapped his fingers as her driver came into the hall with a small cage. The man presented Nichrome with opening the cage, and the kitten inside of it.

"It's a cat."

"You can play around with it." Kanna shrugged.

"You're loaded now, aren't you?" Anna raised an eyebrow.

"My husband is the heir to some corporation or another. He's not the oldest son, so he only gets a percentage of the stock, but it's all good."

"So you're admitting to being a gold digger?"

"Hey." Kanna took off her designer sunglasses, smirking at the blonde. "It's all good. You were so bent on being the wife of the Shaman King, and the most you can do is to run an onsen." She turned around, walking out.

Nichrome gave Anna a look, following the older woman out the door. "You didn't need to do that."

"To tell her off?" Kanna laughed as her driver open the door. "I've always wanted to do that. It's just that opportunity never presented itself since she was my employer." She paused slightly. "So what's this I hear about Macchi?"

"Oh." Nichrome. He turned towards the kitten inside the cat-cage. "She left. But eh, thanks for this."

"She'll keep you company." Kanna shrugged. "You know, since Macchi's gone."

"I know."

**Theme Twenty-Four: Fate**

"There's something you should know." Kanna spoke up pointy, sipping onto her cup of coffee.

"Oh?"

"Macchi called me last night." The newly wed declared, sitting her cup down as she looked up at the boy sitting opposite of her.

"Oh." He felt his throat tighten up. "What did she say?"

"Nothing much." Kanna shrugged. "She talked about how she got a record label and a signed contract. She said her manager is gorgeous and she wants to date him."

Nichrome paused.

"And she's coming back to Izumo."

"Why?"

"Her manager wants her to sing at a promotional event here." Kanna paused. "She calls it fate, I call it bullshit. She wants to see you."

"No, she doesn't."

She raised an eyebrow. "How would you know?"

Nichrome shrugged. "I don't, but how would _you _contradict me?"

Kanna laughed slightly, taking the wallet out of her designer purse. "Nic, you're smart enough to know that I can't do that. But I'm also familiar with you enough to know that you want to see her again."

"If she wanted me to come, she would've told me herself."

"So why don't you think she didn't?"

Nichrome looked between the two of them. "She still thinks that I'm mad at her." He chuckled slightly. "That idiot. I was never mad at her in the first place." He stood up, making his way from the table.

Kanna watched as the boy exited the café, grinning to herself.

**Theme Twenty-Five: Adrenalin**

She only had to wait a couple of seconds for a new figure to be seated in the seat opposite her; where Nichrome had sat previously.

"Why are you in disguise?"

Mattise Matilda grinned, taking off her sunglass. "What? I'm a celebrity now! I need to disguise myself from the paparazzi!"

"You're not a celebrity." Kanna pointed out fully, calling the waiter for another cup of coffee.

"That's what you say." The redhead grinned. "When I become famous, you'll be the first one I mock."

"Good luck with that." The older girl laughed before pausing. "So you got what you wanted, what do you plan to do now?"

Macchi bit her lip.

"He said that he wasn't mad at you, why won't you believe that?"

The redhead shook her head. "That's just his adrenalin rush. He wanted to prove that he's man enough to not depend on him. I know him well enough."

"No." Kanna stood up. "You obviously don't."

**Theme Twenty-Six: Death**

"Ah, Nichrome." Yoh greeted him with a smiling face. "You came."

"When the Shaman King Orders." The boy spoke up, reciting another section out of his well-organized memory. "All members of the Patch Village will obey. Don't thank me for anything."

"Right. Right." The older boy laughed. "I'm sure that he'll be grateful that you all showed up."

"Your grandfather was a very wise man." Karim concluded. "It's an honor just to attend his funeral."

"Although." Silva paused. "There's a lot of people here."

"Ah." Yoh laughed. "Anna told me to invite a lot of people incase some don't show up. I think it's mainly for her own reference. Although.." He scanned the graveyard filled with familiar faces. "You might be right."

The group paused. "Didn't Anna-sama call you awhile ago?"

"Oh, yeah." Yoh grinned. "She'll get mad if I don't show up soon. Oh, and Nichrome?"

The younger boy looked up in the middle of dusting his suit awkwardly.

"There's someone here. I bet you'd like to meet her. Silva, Karim. Help me find Anna, won't you?"

"Who'd-"

"Nichrome-kun."

The boy paused, turning around and flinching at the familiar, soft tone. Yoh gave him a pat on the back and his disappeared into the crowd with the two other judges.

"Nyorai-sama."

The said girl smiled, taking off her dark sunglasses. Nyorai herself still managed to look relevantly young despite chosen black outfit. "I still don't know why you insist on calling me that."

"It's a habit, I suppose." Nichrome relaxed slightly.

"I heard that you're still in college?" The amber hair-girl smiled. "It's interesting how I notice the age different between us now."

"It's not that big of a deal."

"If you say so." Nyorai smiled, turning around as she scanned the graveyard. Spring cherry blossoms blew into the wind, acting as a converse of the actual mood of the funeral. "I haven't been back to Izumo since the last time I saw you here. When was that?"

"Half a year ago."

"Nichrome-kun." She paused. "I get the feeling that you don't want to stay in contact with me very much."

He paused.

"You're letting go of everything that's important to you, are you sure you're ready to do that?"

"Nyorai-sama." Nichrome grinned slightly. "Are you a stalker?"

The girl giggled slightly. "No, I don't think so. Or, I don't have to."

"I understand. It's only the darkness in my heart. Right?"

**Theme Twenty-Seven: Rejection**

"Kii-chan." Nichrome sighed, reaching his hand under the sofa. "Come out already."

The kitten, in return, shook her head proudly and ignored him.

The boy ran a hand through his hair, crossed between annoyance and amusement. He took another look at the kitten crawled under his furniture, not quite sure of what to do. Surely it didn't hurt to have Kii-chan sleep there, it's just that Nichrome's over compulsiveness ensured him to be edgy about the whole idea of a cat underneath his sofa.

"Need help?"

Nichrome paused, looking up to see Mari enter his apartment with a bag of groceries. "Yeah, that would make my day."

The blonde smiled, setting the paper bag onto the table as she pulled out a stick of carrot. She kneeled down, poking it under the sofa.

"Mari, eh, rabbits eat carrots, not cats."

"Oh, shush." The blonde gestured him away as she softly cooed the kitten to come towards the carrot.

Nichrome froze slightly.

Mari paused, looking up as the kitten crawled into her arms. "What's wrong?" She fell quite. "Mari's sorry, she shouldn't have done that."

"It's okay." The boy smiled.

"No." The blonde shook her head. "Mari didn't mean to remind you of her. Maybe it was out of character for Mari to say something like that."

"For a second, you sounded like Macchi."

They fell quite.

"Don't take it as a rejection."

"I won't."

**Theme Twenty-Eight: Believe**

"Has anyone ever told you that you're extremely boring?"

"Yes, and on many occasions." Nichrome smiled slightly. "Why do you ask?"

Horokue Usui looked a little taken back by his response, but grinned in return. "Nah, I just thought that you seemed a little moody." He leaned against the sign-in counter, scanning around the entrance of the onsen.

"I've always been moody."

"Well, I guess I wouldn't be the one to judge that, but you seem contemplative. I, being such a nice guy myself, am trying to help you." The Ainu grinned cheekily in return.

Nichrome raised an eyebrow. "You ran out of things to do."

"Basically." The older boy laughed. "But I don't think of it like that! You need to view things in a more positive manner!"

The patch boy paused. "The glass is half empty."

"Half full is more like it."

"Expecting so much in return is what draws most people back; I'm trying to not make that mistake again." He shrugged, rummaging through the drawers. "Here's your key."

The blue-hair boy snatched the said keys away, staring indefinably at the other boy. "Again?"

"Have a good stay." Nichrome muttered.

**Theme Twenty-Nine: Alone  
**His apartment is on the third floor of an old building. It's relevantly close to the city, but mostly empty. The apartment complex was cheap –a feature that drew him there in the first place- but lonely.

When Nichrome first moved in, he would often make occasional visits to the land lord: a pleasant widow living by herself on the first floor. On those days, he usually went home with a vase of fresh flowers that she picked from her self-mutilated garden on her balcony.

After seeing the first vase of lilacs die, Macchi would take it upon herself to hand select new ones from the local flower ship daily. She would often refill the glass vase in the morning before he woke up, because she new that simple things like that annoyed Nichrome.

By the time he threw away the dead flower two months later, he had finally admitted to himself that he missed Macchi.

**Theme Thirty: Vacation**

"Mari loves firework festivals" The blonde smiled, twirling around in her new kimono.

"Yes, you've stated that already." Nichrome groaned. If she hadn't dragged him out of his apartment, claiming that he needed a break from schoolwork, he wouldn't have been in such a mess.

Or at least, he wouldn't have to watch countless men hit on the blonde girl with little regards to her escort. They didn't bother to consider that he could be her boyfriend –not that he was-, those pigs.

"No." Mari smiled charmingly at another boy. "Mari came here with someone." She quickly took a stance behind Nichrome, who shot the boys a look.

"Don't be stupid." One daring spectator declared. "Anyone can tell that you're not going out. There's no attraction between the two of you."

"Says who?" Nichrome growled.

"Says me." A cheerful voice replied. A few in the crowed stepped back, turning around to the source of the voice; an adorable redhead in yukata, holding onto a stick of cotton candy.

Nichrome and Mari both stared.

"Macchi-chan!" The blonde quickly dashed out from behind her friend, glomping the new comer with surprising ease. "What are you doing here?"

"Vacation with my boyfriend." Macchi grinned, ignoring Nichrome for the moment. "Come on, I'll introduce you to him."

Mari paused. "Wait for Mari, she needs to get her money from Nichrome-kun." She sprinted back towards the boy, who idly handed the purse back.

"Win her back, stupid." The blonde whispered in his ear before dashing away.

**Aftertalk**

I know that this set feels pretty rushed, I ran out of inspiration is the only excuse I can come up at this point. I had to rearrange the number of the themes to set the mood right, so that's why most of these themes seems oddly dislocated in places.

Thirty themes done, twenty-five more to go. Review please?

Chiharu.


	4. Chapter 4

**Gone and Done**

By: Chiharu-chan

Themes from 55themes on livejournal.

Shaman King is copyrighted to Hiroyuki Takei, TV Tokyo, Shonen Jump, Fox Box, 4KIDS , et.

**Theme Thirty-One: Haunting**

Nichrome was never the kind of person to forgive easily; he knew this was the same for Macchi as well. Based on this mutual understanding, he thought that his decision to blatantly ignore the girl was fair.

His friends thought otherwise.

"Idiot!" Kanna ran a hand through her locks, shaking her head steadily. "Why are you doing this?"

Mari merely glanced between Nichrome and Macchi, sipping quietly on her tea. She carefully brushed a strand of hair away from her eyes, remaining silent.

"What else do you want from me?" Nichrome replied lamely, fully aware of the fact that he was failing at whatever action he might have tried to mimic in order to end the conversation.

Kanna frowned, taking out her cell phone. "I have her number right here. Call her."

Nichrome stood up, pushing his seat backwards as he glanced around the café for a waitress. "This is ridiculous. I have class to go to."

"Are you just going to sit around and wait for her to break up with that manager of hers?" Kanna wasn't willing to let it drop. "Or are you waiting for her to come back to you? Because if you ask me, both options are stupid."

"I'm leaving." Nichrome grabbed his sunglasses.

"You'll lose her." Mari spoke up, setting her cup down. Her eyes were round and dull; but that's what made him lose focus. He knew she wasn't trying to pressure him in the same manner as Kanna; she was merely telling the truth.

"You're wrong. I lost her a long time ago."

**Theme Thirty-two: Reincarnation**

Nichrome looked up from washing the dishes when the new waitress came into the room. She was bland and homely, which is probably why Kyouyama hired her. She eyes were determined and reminded him of Macchi; but at this point, Nichrome probably couldn't remember her name even if he tried.

"Um… There's someone out there calling for you, Mari-san."

The blonde girl stopped in her track, setting down a bag of trash she had originally been taking out. She gave Nichrome a quick nod before heading out of the kitchen.

The waitress reminded in the room, wandering around the counter in a slow fashion as she fidgeted her hand.

Nichrome raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't you be going back to work?"

"That visitor." The girl spoke up after a minute, frowning. "He was really odd."

"So?"

"He looked just like Yoh-sama."

**Theme Thirty-Four: Rituals**

"You're here." Nichrome frowned.

Asakura Hao raised an eyebrow from his position on top of the fence. "You're reaction isn't very enthusiastic or surprised. Why is that so?"

"Why are you here?" The patch boy replied, hands tucked into his pockets. "Didn't you meet Mari at the onsen already? What's your business in front of my apartment?"

"Ah." Hao jumped off of the fence, paying no attention to the other boy's question. "Yoh told you about me, didn't he?"

"At this point, I really have nothing to do with you." The younger boy took a step aside, reaching for the doorknob to the main apartment complex. "Can you go now?"

"I suppose you're not obliged to obey me anymore." Hao shrugged lamely. "I'm not here to argue with you about your love life either, but you're being unreasonable."

Asakura Hao. Never asking for other's opinion, just putting his own out in the open. It was so like him, so nostalgic.

"Is this about the onsen?"

"It's about Macchi."

"It has nothing to do with you, then."

"Nah."

Nichrome's hand jerked back from the doorknob, frowning at the sudden increase heat of the brass object. He turned around, eyeing Hao dully; stupid fire shaman. "Seriously. What do you want now?"

"You're old enough for your patch mating rituals."

Nichrome stared at him.

"I'm being serious."

**Theme Thirty-Three: Success**

"Macchi, you're demo's done. Do you want to hear the new mix first before we submit it to the records company?" Her publicist poked her head out of the door.

"Hold on. I'll be there in a sec." The redhead replied softly, eyeing the clouds as she leaned partially out of the window in the hallway. She paused, taking a quick glance at the girl sitting on the bench next to her. "Mari-chan, you don't expect me to believe you."

"Why not?" The blonde looked up at her, frowning.

"Hao-sama died a long time ago." Macchi bit her lip. "I thought you were over him. I thought **we** were over him; why are bringing up this nonsense?"

"Mari knew you wouldn't understand." Mari stood up, grasping onto her purse. "You don't need us now that you're successful." She ran towards the elevator.

"Mari-"

"Good job. Now look what you've done."

Macchi stared at him. "Do you believe her too?"

Nichrome shrugged, heading towards the elevator. "It doesn't matter what I think; I'm not her best friend. You are. Or you were."

The redhead watched him walk off speechlessly.

**Theme Thirty-Five: Non-stop fighting**

"Well, this atmosphere is cheerful."

"This is no time to be sarcastic, Yoh." Anna eyed her husband flatly.

"Ah… Sorry." The brunette laughed. "What do you suggest we do, then?"

"We?" Anna raised an eyebrow.

"Well, we-"

"I'm leaving." The blonde declared. "I don't have time for your useless ideas. Tell Mari that if she drops another plate 'on accident', she'll have to pay for it."

Yoh sighed, calling Nichrome over.

"What?"

"You know what's going on, right?"

"…."

Yoh laughed slightly. "Anna says what you and Mari-chan do in your spare time is none of our business, but she's needs to stop dropping the china. It's scaring the customers too."

"Well, it's your fault."

The Shaman King blinked. "Wha?"

"You asked him to come, didn't you?"

"You mean Aniki?"

"…. Yes."

Yoh shrugged. "It was his own decision to return to Japan, I didn't know his location for the last few years either. You know he's not the kind of person to clue others in."

"But you knew he was alive!" Nichrome snapped.

"Well, yeah-" Yoh blinked, a little taking back. "Didn't you?"

"NO." The patch boy replied. "Asakura Hao isn't the kind of person to clue people in, remember? We didn't know he was alive. Do you know how much pain he has already caused us?"

The older boy paused.

"Obviously, you don't. But thanks to that, everyone is fighting now. Good job." Nichrome returned to his cleaning duties.

**Theme Thirty-Six: Teasing**

"Everything has been a lie, Nic-kun." Mari spoke up, eyeing the riverbank. Her glaze hasn't left the river in hours.

"You should be at work."

The blonde shrugged, not bothering to turn around. "So should you. "

"Did you quit too?" Nichrome smiled weakly, taking a seat on the sidewalk next to her.

"Everything Mari knew has been a lie." The blonde repeated. "Mari just… Mari doesn't understand. Why would Hao-sama lie to us? Why would he hurt us? Why would he hurt Mari like that?"

"He was probably teasing us." Nichrome ran a hand through his hair, frowning. "We were never that important to him; at least, not as important as he was to us. I guess that was his way of handling things."

Mari laid her head on Nichrome's shoulder. "It's not fair. Mari hate him."

Nichrome nodded senselessly, humming softly. "Yeah."

"Mari missed him."

"You loved him."

"Mari still does." The blonde sobbed into Nichrome's shoulder. "It's not fair…"

"I love her too, you know."

"Then you should talk to her."

"I should." Nichrome nodded, watching the river pass by.

**Theme Thirty-Seven: Arousals**

"Why are you here-" Macchi gave a small yelp as she was shoved against the wall. "Nichrome! What are you doing!"

"I miss you. Mari misses you, Kanna misses you. We all miss you. Stop being self goddamnit!" The boy hissed under his breath, eyeing the hallway for workers.

The redhead sighed. "Everyone left already. We're probably the last people in the building, so let me go already."

Nichrome jerked his hand back, rubbing the back of his neck numbly. "Sorry."

"Yeah, yeah." Macchi frowned. "Why are you here?"

"What Mari told you last time was true." Nichrome shook his head. "Hao is back. You don't have to believe me, but I think you should still meet him before deciding that we're liars."

"No." The redhead shook her head in return. "I know it's true."

Nichrome stared at her lamely.

"He came here last week." Macchi took a seat on the hallway bench. "We talk. I guess he hasn't changed much, but I have, which is why the entire thing felt like a dream. A reoccurring dream."

"You should apologize to Mari and make up. You're best friends, after all."

"Look at you, all grown up and giving people advices." Macchi grinned. "And what about us? What do you suggest we do?"

Nichrome, again, stared at her. "What?"

"Don't act stupid, Nichrome."

"I don't know. It's always the same with you. You're too unpredictable; it scared me. I think it still does."

**Theme Thirty-Eight: Missing you**

Her hands traveled down his back slowly as he frowned at her, trailing butterfly kisses down her neck. "I missed you."

The next morning, when he had finally woken up, she was gone.

**Theme Thirty-Nine:** **Too late**

"Why are you always around when I want you see you the least?"

Nyorai smiled pleasantly, setting her book down. "Pilica-chan told me I'd find you here." She looked around. "This is a nice university library."

"Great. Just great." He muttered. "What do you want from me?"

"You're always so hostile." The girl smiled in return. "Don't worry, there's a reason I'm here." She took out an envelope from her bag. "I'm getting married."

"Tsk, you too?"

"It's a little too late for the disappointment, Nichrome."

"How so?"

"With Asakura Hao back in town and Macchi-chan roaming around, nothing is going to stay the same for you. There's no point being annoyed at _me_ right now, right?"

"Mind reader." Nichrome shrugged, accepting the invitation.

**Theme Forty: ** **War with myself**

"Did she use you again?"

Nichrome flinched slightly "I don't know."

"She did, didn't she? I feel like I don't even know her anymore. She's too manipulative. She caused everything. She's the entire reason we're all so uptight."

"…."

"You hate her."

"I don't."

"But?"

"It's not her fault. It's all my fault."

"Nic-kun, why are you mumbling to yourself?"

He blinked at Mari.

**Aftertalk**

When I first started the drabble set, I had doubts about finishing it. Even now, I still do. But reality remains the same, and there's only 15 more drabbles left, which means I'll probably combine them into one set, which will be the last of this collection. If anyone is still reading this, I would be very impressed. Nichrome and the hanagumi are such underappreciated characters.

Chiharu


End file.
